Monday, January 18, 2010

It Is What It is

"It is what it is" . I am hearing this phrase a lot when talking with family and friends in the US these days . I don't like it . It sounds rude , abrupt , simi obnoxious .People used to say " That's the way it is , love it or leave it" .Sometimes they would say "What can I say "? Other phrases as well but I just can't think of any right at this moment .

Languages evolves all the time .I know that, but it doesn't mean that the new words or phrases are as effective as the old phrases or words .Take for instance " Issues " instead of the word "Problems ", or "History" taking the place of the phrase "We go way back " .People now days have "Issues" instead of "Problems" . I don't know about you , but I think the word "Problem" is a more effective word than "Issues" . Or saying to some one ," Yeah we go way back together " sorta gives things a more intimate feeling than saying ,"there is a history there" .

Another thing I am hearing more and more while talking to family and friends back in the States is that the unemployment "Issue" ( See what I mean ? Wouldn't the word problem express the fuller meaning ?) is still a much bigger "Issue " than the government wants people to know. It is being down played a degree to make the government look better .Like there is progress being made when there isn't much really happening .A few new jobs are being created , but the loss of so many old jobs causes the gap to widen , not shrink .It is "Hard Times For Many" there in the States and around the world , also .

Consumer prices are on the rise , insurance for health , car , and home are unaffordable by many . Sad to say many people that can afford the health insurance don't qualify due to "pre-existing conditions " . Insurance company's will take your money but when you need to use the policy , you will probably be discontinued from the insurer for one reason or another so that the insurance company doesn't have to pay , as promised . That leaves the policy holder , proverbially holding the bag , filled with debts that they hadn't planned on having to pay for because they were told they were covered by their insurance policy.The insurance company just canceled on them .And the worse part is there isn't any recourse , or way to fight this arbitrary act by the insurance company's .Children , babies go with out the most basic health care because unemployed parents can't afford to take them to the doctors when they are ill .This ,in one of the worlds richest nations, is totally unacceptable .

People that were hard working , contributing members of society , paying taxes , are now homeless .Living in cars, under bridges , hoping to find shelter for the night in a charitable homeless shelters .Soup kitchens are over run by people that can longer pay for food due to being unempolyed .Food pantrys running out of food because donations are down . The reason being ... the people that once donated food to the food banks are either living on less them selves and are no longer in a position to contribute, or are now in need of assistance them selves .Things are bad all over now in the US.These are real Problems and not just Issues . I guess you could say , "it is what it is ".
Painting by Corbis entitled " Tongue Tied".